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May 23, 2022
12:42:01pm
krindorr Truly Addicted User
Doing the same analysis for Utah just to get a comparison

Again, lots of data below, but it looks like Utah has knelt to end the game 28 times (14 in scoring position*, 14 outside of scoring position), and has had 3 opportunities to kneel out the game that they didn't (as best I can tell from looking at game logs and YouTube videos of games).  I also highlighted the times in that span when opponents ran out the clock instead of scoring on Utah and those times when opponents opted to keep running plays rather than kneel to end the game

Big takeaway for me is that Utah (especially in 2019) tends to not kneel the ball as often, but instead run it up the middle with backup RBs.  This doesn't necessarily change the score (there's really not much difference between a 3rd string RB going up the gut 3 times form midfield or kneeling it 3 times at midfield), but it does keep those players involved and engaged and give them some opportunity.

Also interesting to note that Utah has only once in the last 5 years had a team kneel against them while in scoring position (by comparison, this happened to BYU 5 times in the same time span).  Similarly, only once has a team opted NOT to kneel against Utah, while that happened to BYU 3 times.

*for purposes of this, I designated as being close enough for 50 yard FG (or less) as in scoring position

All data is below

No opportunity to kneel the ball

  1. Stanford 2017 ended with Stanford kneeling near midfield after recovering onside kick
  2. USC 2017 ended with USC kneeling near midfield after recovering onside kick
  3. Arizona St 2017 ended with Utah driving, down multiple possessions
  4. Oregon 2017 ended with Oregon kneeling near midfield after Utah turnover on downs
  5. UCLA 2017 ended with Utah running out the clock, but needing to run plays to do so
  6. Washington St 2017 ended with Utah throwing interception into endzone as time expired, trying to score
  7. Washington 2017 ended with Washington kicking game-winning FG as time expired
  8. Weber St 2018 ended with Weber St in possession
  9. Washington 2018 ended with Washington kneeling on their side of the field after Utah turnover on downs
  10. Washington St 2018 ended with Wash St kneeling near midfield after Utah turnover on downs
  11. Arizona St 2018 ended with ASU kneeling on their side of field after interception + short drive
  12. Oregon 2018 ended with Oregon in possession, trying to drive to tie
  13. Colorado 2018 ended with Colorado in possession
  14. Washington 2018 ended with Washington kneeling on their side of the field after Utah turnover on downs (not a copy/paste error, both 2018 games ended that way)
  15. Northwestern 2018 ended with Utah driving trying to score while losing
  16. USC 2019 quasi-knelt (ran back a few yards to eat time) from near midfield after short drive
  17. Oregon 2019 ended with Oregon kneeling in Utah redzone atfer Utah turnover on downs
  18. Texas 2019 ended with Texas opting NOT to kneel the ball and running plays (including pass plays) from midfield
  19. USC 2020 ended with USC interception of Utah Hail Mary
  20. Washington 2020 ended with Washington kneeling on their side of the field afer intercepting Utah
  21. Oregon St 2020 ended with Oregon St driving to score, but running out of time (and downs)
  22. BYU 2021 ended with BYU kneeling slightly outside FG range after Utah turnover on downs
  23. SDSU 2021 ended in overtime
  24. Arizona St 2021 ended with ASU in possession
  25. Oregon St 2021 ended with Oregon St kneeling just outside of FG range after failed Utah onside and an Oregon St 1st down
  26. Stanford 2021 ended with Stanford in possession (Utah scored a TD with 1:43 left, but wasn't quite yet able to kneel clock out at that time)
  27. Ohio St 2021 ended with Ohio St kicking game-winning FG and ensuing Utah kickoff return

Not in scoring position, kneeled out the game

  1. North Dakota St 2017 after NDSU punt, on Utah side of field
  2. Arizona 2017 after AZ interception, near midfield
  3. West Virginia 2017 after WVU interception, on Utah side of field
  4. Northern Illinois 2018, after NIU turnover on downs, near midfield
  5. Stanford 2018, after Stanford fumble, on Utah side of field
  6. BYU 2018, after BYU turnover on downs, near midfield
  7. Northern Illinois 2019, after extended drive, just outside FG range
  8. Washington 2019, after Washington failed onside kick, near midfield
  9. Colorado 2019, after Colorado turnover on downs from Utah side of field
  10. Washington St 2020, after Wazzu fumble on Utah side of field
  11. Weber St 2021, near midfield (worth noting that Utah ran the ball several times when they could have knelt, only kneeling after they reach Weber St territory)
  12. UCLA 2021, after UCLA turnover on downs from Utah side of field
  13. Oregon 2021, after Oregon turnover on downs and hsort drive, from Utah side of field

In scoring position, kneeled to end the game

  1. BYU 2017 with 6 point lead, knelt in redzone after BYU turnover on downs
  2. Colorado 2017 with 3+ possession lead, knelt at Colorado 3
  3. Arizona 2018 with 3+ possession lead, knelt in medium FG range after Arizona turnover on downs
  4. USC 2018 with 2 possession lead, knelt in redzone after extended Utah drive
  5. BYU 2019 with 3+ possesion lead, knelt at BYU 3 after extended Utah drive
  6. Colorado 2020 with 3+ possession lead, knelt in medium FG range after Colorado turnover on downs
  7. Washington St 2021, with 2 possession lead, knelt in medium FG range after WSU turnover on downs
  8. Arizona 2021, with 2 possession lead, knelt in medium FG range after Arizona turnover on downs
  9. Colorado 2021, with 2 possession lead, kelt in medium FG range with 1 second left after Colorado turnover on downs

DIDN'T kneel the ball and kept running plays from scrimmage (to run clock out)

  1. UCLA 2018, with 3+ possession lead, backup RB kept running the ball (including eventually into scoring range) but ran out clock without kneeling
  2. Idaho St 2019, leading 31-0, backup RB ran the ball a few times from Utah 15
  3. Oregon St 2019, leading 52-7, backup RB ran the ball a few times from Utah 30
  4. Arizona St 2019, leading 21-3, could have knelt after 1st down at ASU 28 (so in scoring position), backup RB carried ball instead to run out the clock
  5. Cal 2019, leading 35-0, backup RB carried twice from Utah 22 after Cal punt
  6. UCLA 2019, leading 49-3, backup RBs carried several times from midfield
  7. Arizona 2019, leading 35-7, backup RB carried three times from Utah 20
  8. Oregon 2021, with 3+ possession lead, backup RB kept running the ball (in scoring range) but ran out clock without kneeling

DIDN'T kneel the ball and kept running plays from scrimmage (to score)

  1. San Jose St 2017 leading 47-16, could have kneeled after a first down at the SJSU 10-yard line with 40 seconds left, but instead scored the touchdown.  Game then ended with SJSU in possession.
  2. Washington St 2019 leading 31-13, coul have knelt after 1st down at the WSU 3 yard line with 1:20 left, but instead scored the touchdwon.  Game then ended with Wazzu in possession

Not a clue how to categorize this one....

  1. USC 2021 with 2 possession (16 point) lead and under a minute left, knelt near midfield after failed USC onside.  USC then called timeout, Utah responded by completing a long pass, then ran it up the gut.  So there's elements here of kneeling to end the game (or trying to), of playing aggressively, and of simple runs up the middle to run clock.

    Probably the best spot for it is "no kneel, running plays to run clock" since that's how it ended up on the last play when Utah was in FG range.
krindorr
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krindorr
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